Discussions and Workshops

Discussions and Workshops are 1 hour sessions suggested and led by Stream participants. Read on for the latest thinking with topics ranging from "Inclusive innovation in Africa: what is next?" to "Are we creating a digital dystopia?". For more, go to the Stream Medium page and YouTube. Or for a daily dose of Stream, you can find us on Twitter or Instagram.

Alexandra Fraser

The latest craze for corporates is to establish accelerator or incubation programs as part of their enterprise development and supplier development initiatives. How do we as stakeholders in this ecosystem ensure that these programs are designed so that the startups and entrepreneurs truly benefit and that they continue to positively contribute to the ecosystem? How do we ensure the most promising businesses and technologies get the support that they really need, that they actually get access to customers and markets, and that they have the building blocks in place so that they are sustainable beyond these programs? While these programs can be a powerful vehicle to access innovative business solutions, many programs are marketing exercises and designed to tick boxes. How can we learn from the programs that are getting it right and how do we make sure our startups and the ecosystems benefits?

Will Green

Co.lab

Who owns the Data? The (Big African) Elephant in the Room...

1. The Client that pays?
2. The Agency that managers?
3. The Media/Platform/Tech that runs?
4. The Operator that distributes?
5. The Consumer whose data it is?
6. The Government where the consumer is/or the server is?

Wim Van Der Beek

Goodwell Investments

Inclusive innovation in Africa: what is next?

Africa’s innovations in the fields of mobile payments and prepaid solar are now widely adopted and changing the lives of millions of people across Africa. The majority markets, the underserved low-income communities are now getting access to affordable payment and energy solutions that only a few years ago were unthinkable.
What will be the next mPesa? What is the next innovation that leapfrogs entire phases in deployment of technology and will enable millions of people to access to new sources of information, new delivery channels, products, services, livelihoods and job opportunities? What is the next generation of innovation that is creating opportunities in sectors like finance, agriculture, energy, education, health care and water and sanitation?
Is it blockchains in health care, IoT and logistics, AI and agriculture, fuel cells and energy-as-a-service? And how will these innovations affect the aspiring low-income population? How will it change their lives, their homes, their families, the way they live, buy, earn, learn, love, pray, eat, vote? How will it affect their health, their wealth, their dreams and aspirations?

Lionel Toussé

Icon Burson-Marsteller

How do you overcome finance challenges in an environment where all your clients pay you 60 days after their Projects done?”

i have notice for the last 5 years all our clients expect us to prefinance their activities. More it has become a criteria of choice for agency(Agency has to be able to have Financial capabilities).
Here the idea is to share our various experience if there's any on how to over come this;

Tersia Booyzen

ABSA Barclays

Are we creating a digital dystopia?

Is the brave new digital world reducing humanity to a set of data and devices? Are we being served by impersonal algorithms that strip us of our individuality? Are we becoming desensitized by amateur videos and selfies of horrific events where those who are present are more interested in capturing and sharing the blood and gore rather than helping? Are we complicit in creating this world and what, if anything, can we do about it except for becoming Snowdens and "Anonymous" hackers? Is something such as a Digital Global Compact viable?

Anthony Berry

SAB

Digital training/education can it really stick in the audiences' minds?

Organisations need to be nimble and be able to react to change quickly. This creates the need to be able to disseminate information & changes to its sales force and ultimately customers. Using various digital mediums to achieve this has been done with varying success and levels of engagement. So really what this discussion seeks to solve is what is the special ingredient or "Perfect Concoction" to get digital training/education stick with its audience?

Making the most of Digital Video

Nikila Srinivasan

Facebook

Building for the Next Billion : But, are you...really?

The next billion internet users to come online will look and act very different from the first billion - how should we approach building products, services, content, and platforms for the next billion? We'll discuss what we've learned building for the billion so far, share stories of how people are "hacking" platforms and products across emerging markets, and discuss together - Are we truly tapping into the power of the mobile device? How can we empower the next billion people and next million businesses to tap into the groundswell of innovation in emerging markets? Most importantly, how should we operate as global platforms and businesses to cater to the growth in the developing world?

Vera Holland

Virgin Active

How real is real-time marketing?

If I had a Rand for every time I've heard the terms "real-time marketing","omni-channel engagement" or "Big Data" in the past year, I'd be sipping champagne on an exotic island right now. But instead I'm typing up my discussion idea for WPP Stream :-) Make no mistake, I definitely buy into the concept and being a CRM strategist by profession, I understand the true value of data. But because of this, I also know how complicated it can be to really achieve. Who is doing it well, who is just talking about it and how real is real-time....really. Let's discuss. I'll give you my views and you give me yours.

Steve Latham

Cannes Lions

Cannes Lions Creative Toolkit

At Cannes Lions we run a series of Diploma courses for rising stars aged 30 years or under. Disciplines include Account Leadership, Creative, Marketers and Media. Like any training, it truly delivers ROI if you take the learning and experience back to your company and action it. That's why in 2016 we want to equip each graduate with their own personal Creative Toolkit.
The objective is to provide a framework that enables learnings to be captured quickly and easily without detracting from the Cannes Lions experience. 35 people typing notes while a speaker is talking is NOT what we want.
Combining offline and online tools and techniques seems logical but I'd love an open discussion on how best to deliver this.
Creatives, technologists, educators and other clever people, I hope you can join in and help create something beautiful!

Mark von Bentheim

Virgin Active

Digital. Just another media channel?

Why has the concept of everything "digital" being elevated to a level of Greek mythological god-like status? If one stands back and looks at it from a from a strategic marketing perspective, it is just another media channel that delivers against an overall marketing and communication strategy. Or does it deserve to be treated differently?
Currently a number of creative ideas are driven from a "digital" perspective, dictating how a brand communicates itself, forcing other channels to follow it (I know I've been in the trenches and seen this happen). "Digital", it appears, is trying to establish itself as an individual that leads, but should it simply be finding it's role within a team and let marketing strategy lead?
Marketing is marketing; if the principles of it remain the same regardless of what channels are being used, why the over focus of everything “digital”?
Is it a bad thing to allow the evolution of marketing to result in "digital" leading a marketing strategy or campaign?
Is it a result of how social media has influenced the world we live in and made conversations with consumers more immediate?
Is it a result of agencies wanting to showcase new talents and offerings, to be leaders within the marketplace and to drive brands and clients into an “unknown” (albeit known) world?
Is it really the future and that marketing principles haven’t been developed for the new world order?
Is it time we ditched the D-word and just developed marketing strategies and creative ideas that are best for the brand and then utilise the best channels that will deliver the desired objectives?
If we interact more with the digital devices that are attached to our hands more than ‘traditional’ media like radio, print and TV, does it not follow that that is our primary opportunity to interact with our potential markets; but not at the compromise of marketing strategy and principles?
Should we not investigate the marketing principles and test them to see if they still apply, or still apply in the same proportions, if the environment has changed?
What does "digital" provide marketers and insights that other channels don't as we move towards devices that track movements and create transparency between consumers and brands?
A controversial topic to some. However, let's debate this and shape it for ourselves.

Alistair Mokoena

Ogilvy South Africa

Tell me a story and I will remember

Storytelling is the oldest form of knowledge transfer between humans. Look no further than bedtime storytelling moments to see the emotional engagement that stories evoke. Behavioural scientists would have us believe that emotional communication is more effective than rational functional communication in building brands. If not storytelling advertising why not?

Alistair Mokoena

Ogilvy South Africa

Can a brand own a passion point?

Many marketers have aspirations of owning a consumer passion point such as art, music, sports and fashion. Is this realistic, given that there are many other brands with the same aspiration? Is ownership the correct objective or should brands be seeking credible and convincing associations?

Alistair Mokoena

Ogilvy South Africa

Headwinds facing marketing budgets

The Marketing Rand has come under significant downward pressure in the past couple of years and this trend is not abating. What do marketing professionals need to do to balance the need for revenue growth with the need for efficiencies and value add?

Alistair Mokoena

Ogilvy South Africa

Ignore brand purpose at your peril

Consumers and marketing professionals alike are seeking meaning and purpose in the brands they choose. Brands that are able to shift focus away from big ideas to big ideals will own the future. What do we need to do to associate our brands with universally embraced ideals in a compelling manner?

Brian Murray

Jambo owns a Spaza Shop and Tavern in Tembisa outside of Johannesburg. His business success depends on him having the right products, at the right price always available. His reality is a cash based business, limited working capital, limited resources to regularly replenish stock, and difficulty in maintaining his positive credit status.
What opportunities are there in the value chain between product manufacturers Jambo and his consumers? How can digital tech overcome the real challenges faced by small informal business owners?
This discussion seeks to identify 3-5 opportunities that digital tech companies and FMCG marketers should explore in order to shape the digital future of the informal economy in SA.

Kevin Lourens

VML (Native)

Customer Experience replaces advertising as marketers key focus

Marketing departments are moving from an advertising silo and non-interactive communication to a natural part of the sales cycle and an extension of customer service. Marketers must care about the whole customer journey and use integrated tools, drive engagement, track the buyer’s journey, measure sentiment and loyalty.
The winners in customer experience, companies like Nike and Apple are creating echo systems of value with the customer at the centre.
Are we ready to embrace this shift and claim the high ground or be displaced by the emerging “chief customer officers”.

Llew Claasen

Newton Partners VC

What came first, the ad or the culture?

What impact will (should?) responsible products and advertising have on advertising and marketing? How do you change consumption behaviour to become more responsible without your product being perceived as being "out-of-touch"? Does the marketing precede the cultural change required, or do you track changes in culture as they occur?

Yaron Assabi

DSG

Why Mobile is the most formidable media platform in Africa ?

Mobile has the highest reach in Africa and is often the only device that a consumer would own . In other continents reference is made to the 2nd screen experience whereas in Africa it is often the only screen and includes a radio , torch , wallet , camera , video and all media is consumed on this multi -purpose and very personal device.
It is a very rich channel for interactive and contextual advertising and can add measurability to a campaign when added to the marketing mix .
Mobile provides a formidable way to drive the path to purchase from awareness , to consideration , to intent , to purchase , to experience , to loyalty and advocacy .
The current spend on mobile advertising is very small , however brands globally are looking to migrate more of their media budgets to mobile .
The discussion will cover mobile media ad formats , opportunities for publishers , app developers and agencies . We will explore customer journey design and how to add mobile media to the marketing mix to ensure ad effectiveness and ROI measurement .

Yaron Assabi

DSG

Branded Mobile Services as an emerging trend in Africa

The recent launch of multiple MVNO's in South Africa such as Mr. Price Mobile , You & ME and FNB Connect is stimulating many brands to consider launching their own MVNO or my preferred description, Branded Mobile Services .
The business model is quite complex and as much as there is a "gold rush " there are many considerations for brands and challenges to create a unique , non comparative customer value proposition . In financial services for example it is defensive strategy as the Mobile Network Operators have launched mobile financial services that disrupt the traditional banking models in Africa .
The discussion will be around the high risk and reward for brands who want to combine mobile with their core business to create customer entanglement.

Yaron Assabi

DSG

Ad Blocking vs Permission Marketing

The recent inclusion of ad blocking in iOs and the variety of web based and Android based ad blocking services are a threat to Online Advertising .
The rise of this trend is primarily due to consumers feeling that ads are not relevant and are a distraction rather than ad value.
As an industry we need to be responsible with the way we design the customer journey and make media more contextual and targeted and focus on permission based marketing rather than spam , in order to ensure that customers opt in to receive ads.
We also need to be mindful of data constraints in African markets.
There are great technologies available for location based marketing , but privacy issues need consideration .
Ad supported models are essential for publishers and consumers alike , so this discussion is about how to execute correctly and avoid the pitfalls on the horizon.

Lea Esterhuizen

&Wider

BIG BRANDS AND HAPPY WORKERS, WHY SHOULD WE GIVE A DAMN?

With the rise of transparency laws and the conscious consumer, more retailers and large producers are facing questions about working conditions in their supply chains. Big brands that have been built up over decades can lose their credibility overnight. Why is it important that your trousers were made by happy workers, your fruit was harvested by someone who can feed their children? What is at stake? Why should brands, retailers, producers and ad agencies care? What are investigative journalists, conscious consumers, corporate risk managers and sustainability departments doing to drive the change? Is real change happening, or is it just window dressing? And...if we do care, how do we know that a supply chain is clean?

Elizabeth Gould

CodeX

What skills does Africa need to succeed?

Let's brainstorm and discuss innovative ways to groom high quality local talent across the continent. What are the skills 21st century Africa needs, and how best to get them?
Less than 10% of Africans get any tertiary education, yet there are tens of thousands of unfilled jobs in SA in programming alone. The formal education system doesn't churn out enough high quality talent to keep up with Africa's growth, and jobs that could give Africa's young people great careers are instead exported to other continents. What skills do you need in your business, and how are you bringing them in? How can the digital economy do better to onboard young people into the careers of tomorrow?

Olivia Hawkins

MTN Group

Is Africa ready for the digital revolution?

Does Africa really have the wealth and access (to devices and networks) to join the digital revolution?
Average internet penetration on the continent hovers at 17%, access to electricity for SSA is under 25%, and middle class incomes are vulnerable to political, economic and natural disasters. If Africa is no longer rising (Nestlé's admission earlier this year that it overestimated the size of Africa’s middle class, and Standard Bank's 2014 estimate that the proportion of low incomes households across Africa is around 86%) what does that mean for digital in Africa?
Or is it that the digital revolution in Africa will be different, unique?
- How will this continent of very different countries tackle digital?
- Will digital lifestyle in Congo mean something quite different to digital lifestyle in Germany?

Randolf Jorberg

BEERHOUSE

Craft (beer and food) - global hype or trend?

Coming from the craft beer front I can tell you, that beer won't stay the only category, where localized, hand-crafted products take over market-share from the traditional premium products.
Join me in an open discussion about the role of craft, artisanal and 'hand-made' products in the market place and whether it's a hype or a lasting trend that's here to stay.

Vasili Sofiadellis

Visions2Ventures

Refugee crisis- Turning Pain into Hope. How Entrepreneurs can change and save lives? From Xenophobia to Refugees, From Cape Town to Lesvos

At the beginning of 2015, serious xenophobic attacks broke out in South Africa.
A few months later, the world was, and still is, facing a serious crisis with the large influx of refugees into Europe.
Governments are far too slow to react and when they do, it is highly questionable whether they adopt the correct approach? What impact will the current award to Turkey of 3 Billion Euro to prevent the influx of refugees into Europe have?
Enter the entrepreneur. Can entrepreneurs create a co-working space where talented refugees, entrepreneurs from outside, investors and local talent work together to create solutions? Solutions for issues relating to the refugee crisis, but also solutions that create permanent jobs, that serve clients worldwide and attract international investors? What are the best solutions that can raise awareness and a culture focused on integration?
We would like to approach the current refugee situation from the perspective of opportunity instead of the perspective of seeing refugees as a problem. Refugees are first and foremost humans with dreams, talents and potential, driven to create a future and have shown the willingness to step into adventure and take risk and have shown great resilience. All critical assets for success.
Let's get together and have a discussion around how we can transform this crisis into an opportunity and a catalyst for hope.
What are the links between the current refugees crisis and where is there a potential convergence of a few streams coming together:
- refugees and migrants are often educated, many speak english
- small and big entrepreneurs have started initiatieves: from sme’s to Facebook and Google
- tech communities have come together to develop solutions
#GlobalCitizens

Vahid Monadjem

Nomanini

Hope, hype and the future of digital money in Africa

There is a great deal of hope and hype regarding consumers in Africa moving away from cash and going digital. Why is this a good idea? What is really going on? Why is it that people say 60% of Kenya's GDP goes through MPESA, when 98% of retail transactions are still cash? What's blocking progress and what is going to make this a reality for the majority in Africa?

Jen Stevens

Twitter

Social Media Pick 'n' Mix - Design a social media platform from scratch.

Social media usage is ubiquitous. But haven't we all thought "if only this did that" when using one of the platforms.
This is your chance to talk about what you would have done differently, if you had the chance to design your own social media network from the ground up.

Marc Ashwell

Aqua

I'll change my model if you change yours

There is increasing tension driving the need for a shift in agency models. The nature of client's work is different, the consumer is different (and connected), and expectations in a recession filled environment are different.
Agencies are under pressure to change from big output low quantity to multiple outputs, massive quantities. Are agencies the only ones that need changing? What about the products and the clients?
I have no idea what the answer is, but I would sure as hell like to discuss it. In many ways South Africa leads the change curve - so I am sure we will have a good discussion.

Conn Bertish

Cancer Dojo

Happy People are Harder to Kill

Happy people have stronger immune systems, are more resilient and find it easier to bounce back from debilitating obstacles. So what if we made people facing cancer happier? What if we increased their chance of survival using stimulus and techniques shown to boost the human immune system? And what if we used digital technology and global online platforms to share it with them, at the very moments they need it most?
Let's talk cancer dojo.

Rudi Nienaber

Smollan

The world needs less marketers and more activists.

"Business as usual" is not sustainable. In this messy world that we live in, what is the role / responsibility of marketing (if any) in creating positive change? How do we unlock competitive advantage through real meaning?

Eyob Alemayehu

yisakal

Defying Labeling

As days go by, the human mind evolved to come up with astonishingly noble ideas and achieved a great technological advancements but in the meantime, that same mind doing such wonders haven’t been able to cure the very cause for people’s disintegration, LABELING and PREJUDICE.
We seem to be busy with prejudice and labeling saying this and that based on groundless assumptions and we tend to go along with that even when we know it’s wrong. Are we fair enough in trying to understand the fact that the color, the sex orientation, ethnicity or a physical look by itself doesn’t define any given human being?
What does it mean to be black? What does it mean to be white? What does it mean to be Asian? What does it mean to be African? How is being a female or male defined? Does that all imply any superiority or inferiority? Does being from one race or the other make one be any less or any better of the rest?
Imagine a world with less labeling and more of love and care where we give chances to people to be who they really are without minding the consequences of being labeled or pushed aside for certain traits they possess.
How can we use the digital technologies to be of a great help towards making the world a better place where we witness more tolerance and mutual understanding? When are we going to let people be what they wanna be rather than looking up to them to live our expectations?

Toby Shapshak

Stuff Magazine

What Africa can teach you about innovation that business school can't.

Because it has so many problems, Africa's unique problem-solving means when it solves these problems for itself, it solves them for the rest of the world.
From energy and electricity, to mobile money and micro-finance, Africa is leading numerous fields in which more developed countries are playing catch up. Africa is a mobile-only continent, producing stand-out innovations; as our collective economies are booming.
It's not coincidence that the next Steve Jobs is an African: Elon Musk never worked for either Nasa or Ford, but he's the major protagonist in these two huge industries. Why? because he bring that particular African-inspired way of solving problems (of outside-thinking instead of the expert-thinking taught by business school) to reigniting these moribund industries.
The answers to many of the world's problems are being solved in Africa. This talk explores what they are, and what the innovative thinking is behind them, and how to apply them to your company.

The future of digital advertising is traditional advertising

Brett Greaves

Liberty Group

The impact of a digitally connected world on personal selling - specifically financial advice

It seems like a pretty straight-forward topic to discuss, but when you consider the role of a financial adviser in your life (if you have one), do we really believe that the internet can fulfil this role? Moreover, what is the true ROI of social media and digital for a Financial adviser in South Africa today, and what does he/she need to keep in mind from a regulation perspective for the future.

African IoT good stories

Brett Greaves

Liberty Group

Is the smartwatch a threat to the timepiece market and if so what is really required to remain relevant?

It’s an age-old question, that companies like Blockbuster, Kodak and half of all Fortune 500 companies that no longer exist had to answer, but did not have the foresight to even ask. - After an 11% decline in sales since the introduction of the smartwatch, it's pertinent to discuss whether this is simply due to a technology substitution process, or is the success of the smartwatch due to complacency / lack of innovation from timepiece manufacturers? - And if so, what do timepiece manufacturers need to do to ensure that they remain relevant?

Roger Norton

Playlogix Startup Studio

How can corporates learn startup innovation?

Why is it so difficult for corporates to truly innovate and why are startups better poised to create new and disruptive things? I build startups for a living and we're formulating our thoughts into an innovation structure by designing lean startup principles into the business accelerator model.
I have a perspective on startup innovation and would love to unpack the essence of how corporate innovation is different /similar, what works best and is there a way to be able to create structured innovation inside large companies? If you have an opinion, lets chat.

Jacques Shalom

Cerebra

Idea or execution. What's more important?

Design that looks pretty, with no idea behind it, is just pretty. By the same token, great ideas with no aesthetic appeal or compelling language is a travesty.
They need to work together, but what is the balance?
Let's debate which is more important, which should be weighted higher according the needs of the project, and how time/budget/scope affects the outcome.

Candice Machado

Maxus

Will digital eventually take us offline?

What is it that makes us spend so much time online? Anywhere I go, I see so many people heads tucked down like Ostriches, completely absorbed by their mobile devices. And then, when someone looks up to talk about Kim Kardashian’s latest selfie on Instagram, I sincerely fear humanity is doomed.
Spending too much time online can lead to stress, sleeping disorders, depression and sever mental illnesses. But even so, people sometimes are simply happier online than in their real lives!
How can we use digital to drive people to engage more in offline activities and find the same fulfillingness they do online?

Elaine Rumboll

The Creative Leadership Consultancy

How can we harness the Power of Play at work?

This discussion will focus on setting up the benefits of Play for organisations and discussing some of the risks of Overseriousness which include disengagement, fatigue, decreased quality of work and cynicism. We want to generate some practical ideas to bring back the values, habits, and practices of play in our companies.

Ehizogie Binitie

Rancard Solutions

Targeting is for animals or enemies: Could AI help build better relationships with customers?

The digital space is fraught with organizations promising better and better "targeting". Yet we see an ever decreasing conversion rate from all forms of digital advertising.
Is it time to reconsider how we find, build and engage consumers? Could machine learning & artificial Intelligence power the next wave of customer discovery and engagement ?
What are the moral dilemmas ?

Annette Muller

DotNxt

The Future of Work, How will people choose to work?

In a world that is rapidly changing with heightened levels of awareness around work life balance and the lapse of the " retirement " concept, working for a purpose and not a corporate, how will the future work force look like?
- What is your ideal working way”
- The growth of freelancers, independent contractors and outsourcing & crowdsourcing skills and talent - is it a fad or here to stay?
- Work on demand, can we upscale and downscale on demand?
- Working globally, living locally - how long till we truly get it right?
- The mobile working economy, how fast is it really growing?

Sylvia Gruber

CareChamp

Marketing for B2B companies - sexy or not?

B2B sector has been treated as a stepchild by marketing professionals as well as marketing has been neglected within the B2B sector itself.
However recent studies have shown that marketing can support the B2B's company's sales pipeline and conversion by 30% through effective lead generation & branding.
How can we build improved visibility for this sector and highlight success stories?

Communication, a dying art

Camille Agon

WeThinkCode_

Born to Code? A new education model for developing Africa's coding talent

What if every young person was given the chance to realise his or her full potential? What if a new education model could enable any born coders to realise his or her dreams and move Africa forward?
WeThinkCode_ is a new kind of peer-to-peer tech institution launching in Johannesburg in 2016, dedicated to transforming technology education in order to bridge the gap between undeveloped talent and the desperate IT skills shortage in South Africa. The magic of WeThinkCode_ lies in its selection criteria that enable us to source high potential programmers in the most unexpected pool of young talent.

Gary Shainberg

TSO Ventures Ltd

I want to buy a drone - should I buy one or should I build one

This will be a workshop and will dig into the depths of what drones are, how they work and what bits are they made from, then we can look at the pro's and con's of buying one or building one - we may even build one there.

Gary Shainberg

TSO Ventures Ltd

My client wants to use a drone in their next campaign - I know nothing about drones

Then come to my discussion on what drones are, how they can be used and what they can be used for in a constructive, productive seductive and safe way.
This will not be a monologue but a dialogue on how best to use this new technology to increase the ROI for both the client and the agency.

Chris Rawlinson

How to foster a culture of innovation

Adewale Obaseki

TNS Global

Improving Literacy level through Digital innovation

Sub Saharan Africa has the lowest literacy rates. It's even worse in West Africa. How can digital innovations be used to improve the literacy level and improve their standard of living? How do we use technology to improve the reading culture in SSA? How can mobile technology be used to teach people how to read and write?

Aaron Fu

MEST

Startups vs Corporates: Disruption or Collaboration

Do startups exist to disrupt / destroy established corporates and big brands? Will we see more Blockbusters fall under the weight of Netflix? Or will we see more Startups working side-by-side corporates, leveraging their experience, scale and customer access to grow?
Should corporates be afraid of or embrace the rise of startups? Are they a source of inspiration for innovation or competition?

Ella Kieran

WPP

How do we create a truly pan-African event?

Each Stream event takes a year to plan and much of that time is spent creating the invitation list. We look for the right mix of entrepreneurs, media and tech companies, brands and agencies. We try to balance gender. Race. Nationality.
This year we have done pretty well on gender - with a 40/60 ratio of women to men (up 5% from last year). But we have fallen short on diversity.
Our target for Stream Africa to have at least 50% non-SA guests. We are below target! And this is despite positive descrimination, 1-by-1 follow up and electing country ambassadors for each key market.
What more can we do? & how can we make Stream Africa 2017 (even) better? All ideas welcome!

Chris Hitchings

Coping strategies for Digital Junkies

Benjamin Schoderer

YUM! Brands Africa

The "360 Agency vs. 360 agencies" dilemma - integration vs. expertise

Lots of agencies like to position themselves as an "all in one" shop, but often lack specialist knowledge in some of the disciplines (especially the new and emerging digital ones). Should brands sacrifice value in exchange for making integration easier? Is integration actually easier within one agency? How can brands assist agencies to upskill better and drive integration as well as best of breed execution at the same time or is it better to have different agencies look after different channels to "keep all partners on their toes"?
How do brands find the right balance? How is it best managed?

Will Green

Co.lab

Humans are the deadliest virus. How technology can save extinctions?

Humans are the deadliest of virus. This is not a blockbuster movie.
On the 22nd November 2015, Nola a Northern White Rhino died in San Diego zoo leaving a TOTAL population of only 3 living Northern White Rhinos in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya.
Does nature and a human consciousness matter in a future world?
How could technology build and protect a future that we are proud of leaving to our children?